Gas turbine engines include a core flow path where air is communicated to a combustor section, combined with fuel, and ignited to generate a high pressure exhaust gas stream. The high pressure exhaust gas stream includes relatively high temperature gases. Various portions of the engine, such as combustor liners and exhaust nozzles, are directly exposed to this high pressure exhaust gas stream, and may include metal plates configured to absorb various structural loads in the engine. Ceramic matrix composite (CMC) panels are sometimes used to protect the metal plates from the high pressure exhaust gas stream. In one known example, a CMC panel is directly fastened to a metal plate by way of a fastener.